Nov 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Pitzer Catalog 
    
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2024-2025 Pitzer Catalog

Media Studies Major

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The Media Studies major requires the completion of 11 courses, with a concentration in Film/Video, Digital/Electronic Media, or Critical Studies. All Media Studies majors will complete the following courses. Courses listed as fulfilling each requirement are subject to change and other courses may be counted toward those requirements with approval of the Curriculum Committee.

  1. One introductory critical/theoretical course:
  2. One introductory production course:
  3. One course in media history:
  4. One course in media theory:
  5. A senior seminar:

Each student will also complete one of the following six-course concentrations:

Film/Video

  1. One intermediate or advanced film/video production class.
  2. One additional course in media history, as listed above.
  3. -11. Four appropriate electives, drawn from the list of all approved courses that follows (note that Pitzer MS majors must select MS 194 PZ -Media Arts for Social Justice , or MS 196 PZ -Media Internship , as one of their electives).

Digital/Electronic Media

  1. An intermediate or advanced digital production course.
  2. One course in 20th or 21st-century art history:
    ARHI 181 SC -Art from 1945-1989 
    ARHI 185 SC -History of Photography  
  3. -11. Four appropriate electives, drawn from the list of all approved courses that follows (note that Pitzer MS majors must select MS 194 PZ -Media Arts for Social Justice , or MS 196 PZ -Media Internship , as one of their electives). 

Critical Studies

  1. One additional media theory course, as listed above. One of the two required media theory courses must be MS 147 A-C PO or MS 149 A-C PO. Topics in Media Theory I or II.
  2. One additional course in media history, as listed above.
  3. -11. Four appropriate electives, drawn from the list of all approved courses that follows (note that Pitzer MS majors must select MS 194 PZ -Media Arts for Social Justice , or MS 196 PZ -Media Internship  , as one of their electives). 

Critical Studies: Film Studies Option

Students desiring an emphasis in Film Studies should follow the Critical Studies track, tailoring their major by selecting the following courses:

  1. MS 050 PZ -Intro to Film  or LIT 130 CM -Introduction to Film  
  2. MS 082 PZ -Introduction to Video Art ; ART 148 SC -Introduction to Video Art ; or MS 182 HM -Introduction to Video Art .
  3. MS 147 A-C PO, Topics in Media Theory 1 ; or MS 149 A-C PO, Topics in Media Theory II
  4. One course in film theory, such as: ; LIT 138 CM -Film and Mass Culture  ; LIT 139 CM -Film Theory  ; MS 074 PZ -Sound Theory, Sound Practice .
  5. -6. LIT 131 CM -Film History I (1925-1965)  and LIT 132 CM -Film History II (1965-Present)  
  1. MS 190 JT -Senior Seminar  
  2. -11. Four appropriate film-oriented electives drawn from the list of all approved course that follows (Note that Pitzer MS majors must select MS 194 PZ -Media Arts for Social Justice , or MS 196 PZ -Media Internship , as one of their electives)

The Senior Exercise consists of a topical senior seminar jointly taught during the fall semester by faculty from each of the concentrations. This seminar asks students to bring together the various aspects of their course of study, producing an appropriate culminating seminar project that demonstrates their command of the fields and the forms of critical and creative practice that they have studied. During this seminar, all senior Media Studies majors will be given the option to develop a proposal for a second-semester Senior Project. These proposals will be reviewed by the Media Studies faculty and selected students will go on to complete an independent project under the supervision of two members of the Media Studies faculty or appropriate affiliated faculty members from The Claremont Colleges. The Senior Project course will count toward the four electives required for the major.

Double Major

Students must complete the requirements for both majors, including any theses or honors requirements. Normally, no more than two courses can be counted to fulfill the requirements in both fields.

Media Studies Courses

Art

Critical Global Studies

Media Studies

Media Studies Honors

Media Studies majors with at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will be invited to have their senior project or thesis evaluated for honors. Students whose senior project receives a grade of “A” will be recommended to the Media Studies Field Group for honors.

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